Ramen fever boosts crowds at LA Japan Fair

Oct. 12, 2013

Updated Oct. 13, 2013 9:13 a.m.

1 of 6

Twin sisters, from left, Sarah and Samantha Yan, 6, share a bowl of Ramen Noodles during the 2013 LA Japan Fair at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa on Saturday. KEN STEINHARDT, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

1 of 6

Richard Magana, 25, of Anaheim eats Ramen Noodles with his girlfriend Tiffany Van Over, 25, of Anaheim during the 2013 LA Japan Fair at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa on Saturday. KEN STEINHARDT, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

1 of 6

Scott and Ava, 5, Sato, of San Clemente watch cooks, from left, Kaori Richko, 24, of Santa Monica, and brothers Chris, 21, and Alex, 18, Marinakis of Lawndale as they turn Takowaki over as they cook during the 2013 LA Japan Fair at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa on Saturday. KEN STEINHARDT, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

1 of 6

Ashleigh Liu rescues her daughter Kaylee Kolk, 4, after bouncing in the Hello Kitty bouncy house at the 2013 LA Japan Fair at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa on Saturday. Kaylee hurt her toe but was ok a few moments later, according to her mother. KEN STEINHARDT, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

1 of 6

Fran and Lee Leibowitz of Huntington Beach look for something to eat as they enter the food court during the 2013 LA Japan Fair at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa on Saturday. KEN STEINHARDT, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

1 of 6

Food of Japan is a big draw during the 2013 LA Japan Fair at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa on Saturday. KEN STEINHARDT, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Twin sisters, from left, Sarah and Samantha Yan, 6, share a bowl of Ramen Noodles during the 2013 LA Japan Fair at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa on Saturday.KEN STEINHARDT, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

COSTA MESA – Frank Zhang drove from his home in La Verne to Costa Mesa on Saturday morning in search of one thing: a good bowl of ramen.

Zhang had stumbled across the LA Japan Fair online and saw some of Southern California’s most popular ramen shops scheduled to attend. So the 23-year-old Chinese-American enlisted a Japanese friend to come along for guidance and mapped his way to the OC Fair & Event Center.

The pair’s first stop was the Gaja booth, a South Bay restaurant specializing in okonomiyaki, a pancake dish made from cabbage, yam, egg and red pickled ginger. Zhang was pleased.

Next, he and his friend hit Daikokuya, a popular ramen restaurant with multiple locations in Los Angeles. Another victory.

“We also want to get green tea ice cream,” Zhang said, his eyes wandering down the row of busy booths.

While U.S. census data shows Japanese immigration has been declining since the start of the 21st century, elements of traditional Japanese culture and the island nation’s unique trends have continued making their way to America.

There was the explosion of sushi and all things Hello Kitty in the 1980s. Next it was anime in the 1990s, then the growing popularity of sake in the 2000s. Now, the craze is clearly ramen.

All of those influences are on display at the LA Japan Fair, which continues at the OC fairgrounds today.

“About five years ago, Japan’s economy was down,” fair founder Yoshi Maekawa said. “We thought, why don’t we do something fun and to show our energy?”

With other volunteers from the Orange Business Network, Maekawa, of Seal Beach, helped organize the first OC Japan Street Fair in 2009. The event has grown each year, he said, rebranded now as LA Japan Fair to help draw vendors from Japan who don’t recognize the “OC” label.

There’s a string of businesses offering giveaways, such as Mitsubishi bags and free massages. There’s a rotation of musicians and performance groups taking the stage, including taiko drumming ensembles. And there’s a row devoted to disaster relief from the Tohoku earthquake of 2011, with crafts handmade by survivors on sale.

For the vast majority of guests, though, the fair is all about the food.

The longest line by far Saturday was for the Keika booth. It features chefs from Kumamoto, Japan, bringing their version of tonkotsu, or pork broth, ramen to the United States for the first time.

The sake-tasting station was on the to-do list for 21-year-old Stacey Yamaguchi of Irvine.

“I didn’t grow up in a traditional Japanese family, so this kind of makes up for it, helping me learn more about the culture,” Yamaguchi, who’s half-Japanese, said with a laugh.

For the kids, there’s yo-yo fishing, using string to hook floating water balloons. Or for $15, they can take pictures with Sanrio’s famous white bobtail cat.

User Agreement

Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial
slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about
tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to
allow Orange County Register Communications, Inc. the right to
republish your name and comment in additional Register publications
without any notification or payment.